After all of those wonderfully depressing books I read in the winter, I was quite ready for my Redwall fix. And there are still at least five Tales of Redwall that I haven't yet read (I believe there are 21 or 23 altogether).

This is one of the tales which branches out beyond the borders of Mossflower, even further than Salamandastron, the mountain of hares and badgers. The climax of this tale takes place on Green Isle, an island on the Western Sea to which a young Redwall ottermaid must sail with the Long Patrol, in order to rid the island of Riggu Felis (the wildcat warlord) and liberate the native otterclans and slaves living under the cats' tyranny. And so fulfilling a prophecy of a queen called the High Rhulain who would come to free them.

As with all of the Redwall books, the story switches back and forth from Tiria (the ottermaid)'s point of view as she travels, to the events happening at Redwall in the mean time (a small band of mangy rats causes some ruckus), to the trials of the otters living on Green Isle, to the perspectives of Felis and various other evil cats.

One thing that I noticed while reading this book was that the language conjured incredibly clear images into my head--it's not as if the writing is particularly poetic or descriptive, but for whatever reason, though I've read so many Redwall books already, I only just began to notice the way these stories play with the imagination.

My favourite characters in this particular tale were, of course, the hares of the Long Patrol along with Captain Cuthbert--a grief-maddened hare who sometimes thinks he is a shrew, and other times a sea otter captain. I don't think I will ever get tired of harespeech; all the bally-wells and the flippins and the wot wots.

These books could be described as quaint stories of talking animals with their funny dialects and their amusing habits. But they are more than that. I started reading Redwall books back when I was about nine years old, but it wasn't until I was in my teens that I realized how truly gruesome they can be. Gruesome and rather gory and definitely very sad sometimes. It may sound stupid to those who have not read them; but if you have, you understand.

In High Rhulain, there was one part that I slightly teared up for. Many characters died, of course, as is always the case with violent wars between vermin and gentlebeasts--but the saddest death in this book was that of Brinty, the young mouse who had been one of Tiria's best friends back at Redwall, and who was killed right outside the gates by the leader of that mangy rat gang mentioned earlier.

' "Redwaaaaalll! Haha, we did it!"
Nobeast was prepared for what happened next. Behind Brinty's back, a young rat leaped out of the ditch on the opposite side of the path. He was brandishing a crude sword fashioned from a scythe blade. The rat struck Brinty down with one cruel slash.
"Told yer I'd pay ye back someday, didden't I?!"' --pg. 253

and then

' When drinks had been served all around, Abbess Lycian made a small speech. "Redwallers, it is always sad when we lose one of our friends. More so, when it is a young creature who was not fated to live out his full seasons. We will never forget Brinty. Let us drink to all the happy memories we have of him. To Brinty!"
Everybeast repeated the name and drank. In the silence that followed, Skipper had a word to say. "He was a good an' cheerful young mouse, an' a true friend to all, includin' my daughter Tiria."
Girry felt he had to say something. "He saved me from the gannet. Brinty was very brave!" Then the young squirrel touched the bandage around his ear and fell silent.
Tribsy made a visible effort to finish the tribute. As he spoke, tears coursed down the young mole's homely face. "Hurr, our pore Brinty, he'm wurr ee bestest friend us'n's ever haved! We'm be a missin' 'im furrever."' --pg. 255

It's true, the writing style isn't as brilliant or astonishing as some of the other books I've read this year, but there's just something about the world of the Redwall books that makes them incredibly enjoyable reads. Here's another little passage that I had bookmarked:

' Tiria turned her gaze upward. What the sergeant said was true. On first glance, there seemed to be the usual amount of stars, but as she continued to look, more stars than she had ever dreamed of became visible. All the vast tracts of the nightdark sky were aglitter with innumerable pinpoints of light--some large, some small, others so minute that they resembled dust, covering infinite areas of the uncharted dark vaults. It was a staggering sight.' --pg. 277

One thing that's really convenient and nice about the Tales of Redwall is that they can really be read in any order without much confusion. It's not that the stories are completely separate--in fact they're all connected by recurring legends and families and themes--just that each story within itself could be a stand-alone book. You just wouldn't have all of the rich background and history of Mossflower and the world around it.

I am very glad to have decided to pick up another Redwall book. It had been too long. Sometimes I just squeal inside my head at the utter adorableness of it all--though there are dark and nasty parts too, as I said. I will never tire of these tales, and I hope that other people enjoy them as much as I do.

The late Brian Jacques dedicated this entry of his Redwall series to his friend Alan Ingram, whom he terms the guardian at the gate of the eponymous Abbey. A poem about autumn follows, with plenty of poetry, as always, throughout the book. Its action opens on Green Isle, where the Warlord of the Green Isle Cats reigns. Riggu Felis, the mentioned monarch, has a pine marten aide named Atunra and children Jeefra and Pitru. Meanwhile, back at Redwall Abbey, the young Lycian the mouse is Mother Abbess, with another of the primary protagonists, Tiria the young otter, daughter of the Skipper of otters, introduced, being skilled with a sling.

Outside Redwall, water rats patrol, capturing an eagle whom Tiria emancipates. Jacques eventually reveals the backstory of Green Isle, where the otterclan Wildlough reigned until the cats came into power. Fights occasionally erupt between the vermin and the “good” creatures, with the riddle of the Geminya Tome perplexing Redwallers. Tiria further receives a visit from Martin the Warrior, a trend in prior installments. The ottermaid eventually begins a trip to Green Isle with the help of friends, the Long Patrol, and their Badger Lord, coming into play as well.

Overall, this is another enjoyable Redwall book, even if it recycles elements from its predecessors, including the predisposition of specific animals as good or evil and the visitations from Martin the Warrior. There’s also the issue of the lack of clarity at times as to the species of various characters, with little reminders throughout the text, and the Amazon Kindle’s X-Ray function doesn't work for the book. Furthermore, within each chapter, the action constantly shifts between sets of characters when the author could have segregated them in each of the book’s subsections.

As always, this is a Redwall book so naturally I enjoyed it. Once again, I love how Jacques features characters at every stage of life and girls are in leadership or warrior roles as often as the guys are. That being said, this wasn't my favorite book in the series. the characters were a bit bland, usually there are a few that really stand out for me and I didn't really get it for this one. Still a good adventure and a fun read.

Admittedly this book took me over a month to complete, but it wasn't entirely the book's fault. This is not my favorite in the series, which I feel I've been saying a lot lately. The riddle aspect of the book, a feature I generally enjoy, was not well-linked into the larger narrative, so it felt more like a distraction than a valuable plot point.

While I thought Tiria was a nice little otter, she wasn't given much opportunity to shine herself, instead deferring to others. The final battle royale was incredibly condensed and felt superficial and lackluster.

The relationships didn't shine as bright, the lore didn't provide the solid backbone I've come to expect, and food barely featured in this book (except to again remind us that hares have unquenchable appetites.

It sounds like I didn't like this book, and in the context of Redwall, I guess I didn't, but as a book it was entertaining if largely forgettable - hence the 3-star rating.

I recommend this to fans of Redwall, especially those who are committed to the series. It's not super critical to read these books in order, and this story can hold its own as a standalone.

*High Rhulain* by Brian Jacques is a captivating tale in the *Redwall* series, focusing on the brave and determined otter, Rhulain. The story follows Rhulain, the rightful heir to the otter kingdom of the High Rhulain, as she embarks on a journey to reclaim her title and free her people from the oppressive rule of the evil pirate, Gulo the Savage. Along with a group of loyal friends, including the skilled mouse, Dotti, and a band of warriors, Rhulain faces perilous adventures and powerful foes. With its themes of courage, leadership, and friendship, *High Rhulain* delivers an epic, action-packed narrative full of heart.

High Rhulain by Brian Jacques – Otters galore make this one so much fun! Enjoy the adventure! Happy Reading!

This was one of my favorite Redwall books as a dibbun. Reading it again, I chuckle at how obsessed the animals (and author?) are with food.

Loved it! I am always pleased to read another redwall tale and this one is no exception. an ottermaid becoming a queen, two evil warlord cats and their followers defeated by otters and hares (helped by a fishing hawk and goose) You will feel proud of a young mouse called Brinty and perhaps shed a tear at his untimely death. You will cheer for the birds and marvel at the strength of Leatho the outlaw otter. Overall a great story of victory, growing up, helping friends, and good beating evil into the ground yet again!

Been maybe five years since I've read a Redwall novel and they are still wonderful. Brian Jacques is an amazing and unique story teller and I will miss his talent. Only got a few more to read until there's no more :(

Loved the Redwall series as a kid. As an adult, I find them comforting but a little lacking in character development or nuance. Still, an engaging adventure story.

Martin the Warrior and the High Rhulain come to Tiria, the otter maid, in a dream. Tiria is instructed to leave Redwall for Green Isle immediately. With the assistance of one mad and perilous pirate/major, a score and a half of Long Patrol hares, one goose, one hawk, and the spirit of Martin the Warrior; Tiria attempts to free the enslaved otters from the terror of Rigu Fellis. Filled with adventure, puzzle solving, and a few odd encounters, Tiria seeks out her destiny in true Redwall fashion.

This book was like the story of Moses and Robin Hood kind of mixed into one. It had plenty of the classic Redwall adventures, but with new creatures, mythologies, puzzles, and locations.

People are saying the characterizations were bad in this book, and I disagree. Tiria and Leatho were fantastic. Even the birds were likeable and fun.

The bad guy seemed to be kind of a wimp compared to other antagonists I've read by Jacques, but that isn't such a bad thing.